Tidafors vs. Milo

Never go to IKEA on a Sunday afternoon. Just don't do it. If you value your sanity don't do it. I went with my family to look at some closets for my sisters and came home with a couch. Talk about impulse buying!

I think the disappointment of not being able to fit the one I really loved/wanted (Milo) in my little apartment forced me to feel deflated and I bought one at IKEA. In the As Is section.
 

Here's Milo:

Here's what I got - Ikea Tidafors:

Don't mind the sloppy pillow in the middle there...that was just an extra I had hanging around. Woe is me...not even close to the Milo. Dam you Milo and your largeness!

Here's the thing though, buying IKEA stuff is like buying a Honda. You can ALWAYS sell it again. Seriously. Just check Craigslist for anything you may want from IKEA and guaranteed it's being sold by someone somewhere. Plus I didn't pay full price for this guy and it's perfectly fine, nothing wrong with it. Heck, I can even end up selling it for more than I paid if I wanted to (is that shady?). So I'm OK with the impulse purchase...for now.   

I may also get this chair from Target. Although, when I first saw it I thought it would look cute with Milo not Tidafors...geez even the name of that couch is not that great.

Although paying $340 for Tidafors beats paying $1500 for a Milo sectional! you just wait Milo, you just wait until I buy a house...

 ♥always,

Bedroom Inspiration: Desk Space

Yes, the Bedroom is still "in the works." I last shared my overall inspiration but now let's get a little more specific. More specifically, my desk area. As usual Pinterest has served as the source for said inspiration more specifically my Desk Space Board.

Things to note:

1) I am obsessed with white desks apparently. 

2) Must have fresh flowers on my desk!

3) Must have art and photos on my desk!

4) I want that ghost chair!!!(the clear chair in the second to last image)

I'm almost done with my desk, but am faced with the decision of what type of chair to get. 

What do you think: A or B??

♥always,

In the Bedroom: Inspiration

I've only been in the new apartment for 3 weeks and that already feels like a long time and like I should have something to show already! Too bad I'm not even close...

But before all that I had a tiny bedroom. Tiny is the perfect word for it. And while I tried to make the most of it, it sucked. I even tried doing a whole makeover in an effort to make me feel better in that space but it was a fail. I started and then gave up. Most embarrassingly I tried to blog about it and failed. Now I have a whole apartment to makeover. As in from scratch! From paint to furniture to well...everything!

So this time around I'm not going to create such a blogging hazard for myself and just share the progress as I go. Plus the inspiration as I go. To begin, I needed to GROUND myself. Once I got over the shock that YES, furniture is expensive and accepted the fact that NO, you are not going to find some great find at the thrift store to convert into a marvelous unique piece because it will just sit in the backyard for a year and the photos you find online of these amazing lonny bedrooms were done by someone other than you with a bigger pocket book so don't set yourself up into thinking you too can do it just the same. I will just have to go with the flow, some things may not turn out so great and some just might and others will just evolve. Here are some of my inspiration images. Note however that this is not what the final result will look like but I love these photos and they keep me going...

Source: decorology.blogspot.com via Marisol on Pinterest

Source: simplyinspiredhome.com via Marisol on Pinterest

Source: cptnrin.smugmug.com via Marisol on Pinterest

Source: ne-uw.tumblr.com via Marisol on Pinterest

Source: lonnymag.com via Marisol on Pinterest

Oh...if only...HEY, I said Ground yourself, missy! Why, yes, I did just speak to myself on my own blog. 

♥always,

Marisol

Tiny Room Makeover: Bed Issues

Remember the Tiny Room Make over? The plan? The furniture? Well, good thing you do. It's still going on. Slowly but surely. Remember how I said that Murphy's Law applies to me when I attempt projects. "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong". Remember how excited I was about finding my bed?

 So excited that I didn't even properly photo shop the lines out the original picture. Well, I was SO excited that when I couldn't find my pretty purple 25' tape measure, I used my Mom's 3' foot plastic one that she uses for taking sewing measurements. Yes, that was my mistake.

After opening the 5 million pieces needed to assemble the new bed and the hour it took me and my Dad to assemble the bed (by "me and my Dad" I men my Dad assembled the bed while I passed him pieces and held things in place and watched) it finally came time to place it in it's corner.

It didn't fit.My heart sank.

ME: What??? Are you sure Dad? But I measured it.
DAD: Well you measured wrong then, Mija. It doesn't fit. Look. (takes out his retractable measuring tape, yup it was off by just under 1 inch.)
ME: Well, I used my Mom's measuring tape.
DAD: HahahahJajajajaHa (yes, my Dad laughed at me in English & Spanish)

After seeing the completely frustrated/sad look on my face he stopped laughing and went back into Super Dad mode.

DAD: I can fix it!
ME: How?
DAD: I have an idea. (said while giving me his best I'm a genius smile and holding up his index finger)

So began a bunch of genius ideas...
1. Cut out the outline of the baseboard on the wood of the bed.

Failed. Still did not fit as we could only make the cut to the headboard.

2. Remove the baseboard!

Fail! The bed still did not fit, but we were getting close.

3. Sand down the back of the headboard until it fits.

Fail! This job made my Dad sweat.

What we thought was going to be a little bit of a sanding job turned into an hours worth of work. We did actually manage to make the bed fit sort of, it was very tight and it was not even. It turns out that my room is actually a trapezoid. Let me draw it for you:

Remember how I said my room was an addition to an addition to the house? Obviously they didn't hire an architect. A trapezoid!?! Seriously. So while my original measurements were slightly off, the reason the bed still didn't fit and our attempts were massive fails was because in one area I was 2 inches off.


Not sure if it was the fact that I now had scratched up paint, oh pretty blue paint I'm so sorry. Or that my Dad was still trying to make the obviously-not-going-to-fit-bed, fit. Or the sinking feeling that This bed was now most definitely not refundable. Or maybe a combination of all 3 but that night I decided NO HEADBOARD! Yup, that's right. I changed my mind. That's the look I wanted anyway. Plus the headboard was detachable. Two minutes later my bed fit.

I slept in my new headboard-less bead that night. The following morning I knew it wouldn't do. Then the heavens parted and the angels began to sing (a la Windows commercial style) while the following idea came to me: "Why don't you just build a headboard, Marisol?!"

Until next time folks -- the makeover continues...

Tiny Room Makeover: The Great Bed Frame Search Extravaganza!

To begin my little makeover, you member? No...awkward, well, how about you read this this: Tiny Room Makeover: The Plan Than come on back here... Or just keep reading...

I decided to first work on the big things like the furniture and move around from there. I already knew what dresser I wanted and from where.

Meet the Malm 6 Drawer Chest in Black Brown found in Ikea:

It looks more black than brown in this picture but I like it that way. I first tried looking all over Craigslist for this dresser but after about a month of searching...no luck. So I decided to move on and buy a brand spanking new one. For $159 its not too bad. Although in my head I like to price things based on what I believe they should be. In my head this should be more like $89.99 but whatever...

Then came the search for my new bed. I knew what I wanted and from where. Meet the West Elm Storage bed:

This bed is exactly what I was looking for. It met all of my criteria.

-Twin size

-At least 3 drawers for storage. Preferable with no handles.

-Black-Brown in color.

-No headboard.

-Priced under $200.....oy. Problem. Selling at $1,199.00 (special $899, yeah still a problem) it soooo does not meet my final and most important criteria. So began my search for my bed.

My first Google search lead me to some beautiful beds like the West Elm but unfortunately none that fit my criteria. Some just came in the wrong color or were not available in a Twin Size...I spent about an hour searching when I came upon this PrePac Espresso Twin Platform Storage Bed:

Not as modern and pretty as the West Elm bed but it was close. I found it on Ebay for $199.99 plus $60 for shipping and handling. I did not jump out of my seat or anything but I was excited I was getting close. My continuing search lead me to Wal-Mart's website. While I'm not a fan of the store (except to load up on Christmas decorations!!! You better believe there will be a post about that!) I started to look around. I found some close matches and while they had me at the correct price I just did not like them...

South Shore Cosmos Twin Mates Bed - $149.94

I really, really dislike these handles but its very close...I dislike those handles very much.

South Shore - Cakao Twin-Size Mate's Bed - $139.99

This one was much sleeker looking but those handles...those are just some serious bruising waiting to happen. I thought I could just remove them but then I would have a hole. Also the review said it was actually black not brown. But even with all this it was the closest I had gotten.

Right when I was about to give up I came across this:

Mainstays Twin Storage Bed with Headboard - $159.99

Ignore the headboard for a moment...and the gray lines around the picture I failed to remove...This bed frame was just what i was looking for. The two drawers were split into 2 inside so I would be getting 4! Color, price, size!! AND NO HANDLES!!!!

Now about that pesky headboard...I decided I could live with it. I didn't want a headboard but looking at this one I figured I could place my alarm clock on it..A picture frame and my current readings...Sold!!

So after searching the Internet a few more days including eBay and Cragislist...I looked over my final selection made some measurements and headed on over to my local Walmart to make my purchase. Followed by a trip to Ikea to pick up my Drawer.

I headed home and Papa Bear and I began putting my furniture together. The dresser came together perfectly. The bed frame however...PROBLEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! To be continued...